Rolls Royce & Holtec Advance in U.K. Mini-Nuclear Testing

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--The small modular reactor (SMR) designs from car and aerospace major Rolls-Royce (London, England) and U.S. company Holtec International (Jupiter, Florida) have progressed to the next stage of the U.K.'s assessment process.

The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) confirmed that Rolls-Royce's 470-megawatt (MW) SMR design has progressed to Step 3--the final step--of the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process used for all nuclear power-related technologies. Holtec's SMR-300 small modular reactor design has passed Step 1 and will now progress to Step 2 of the GDA process, which is expected to last for 14 months. The companies are part of a group of six companies shortlisted to compete in the government's first SMR auction last October. This is expected to be whittled down to three or four in the coming months. Rolls-Royce has a head start of more than a year on any of its rivals. The country wants to grow nuclear energy capacity to 24 gigawatts (GW) by 2050, with a mix of traditional large-scale power plants and SMRs. For additional information, see October 17, 2023, article - Six Companies in Race for U.K. Mini-Nuclear Contracts.

"The Rolls-Royce SMR GDA is one of 'firsts'," explained Rob Exley, ONR's head of generic design assessment. "We are the first regulators to assess this reactor design, determining whether it meets our robust safety, security, safeguards and environmental protection standards in Great Britain. It is also the first time we have followed the modernized GDA process, looking at an SMR design. ONR is satisfied that Rolls-Royce SMR Ltd. are progressing and as regulators, we can now continue into Step 3 assessing in more detail the evidence that supports the claims made about the design. Based on our work during Step 1 and 2, the generic Rolls-Royce SMR design can proceed to Step 3 of the GDA."

With regard to Holtec's design, Tim Parkes, ONR's Head of Safety Regulation for Advanced Nuclear Technologies and the Holtec SMR-300 GDA, said: "Together with the Environment Agency and Natural Resources Wales, we have seen Holtec demonstrate readiness to move into Step 2 of the assessment where we can begin the technical assessments of the reactor. We have improved our understanding of the generic SMR-300 design which will enable us to conduct a meaningful assessment throughout Step 2. Safety and security will always be our overriding priority, but we are committed to regulating in a way that does not impede technological advancements unless it is fully justified that we do so."

Holtec is currently evaluating potential sites for its proposed plant, with Kingmoor Park in Carlisle, Wales, being shortlisted along with other locations including South Yorkshire, Tees Valley and the West Midlands. Rolls-Royce recently received the backing of industry group the Nuclear Industry Association, which applied to the government for a justification decision for its SMR reactor design. Justification is a regulatory process which requires a Government decision before any new class or type of practice involving ionizing radiation can be introduced in the U.K.. The group maintained that the "benefits of clean, firm, flexible power from the reactor would far outweigh any potential risks, which are in any event rigorously controlled by robust safety features, including passive safety systems, built into the design, in line with the UK's regulatory requirements."

Tom Greatrex, chief executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, said: "Rolls-Royce SMR's design, like other SMRs, offer huge possibilities for the U.K. to revive our industrial capabilities and deliver low-carbon energy for net zero and energy security. We are delighted to support this step to get the design approved in its home country. It is essential that our nuclear renaissance is made in Britain, so the new Government should ensure that we deploy enough SMR designs to justify investment in the U.K. supply chain to deliver them."

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